Maxven
Veteran Member
Following up on mikej.'s brilliant idea of Q&A thread, I'm starting a new one to get a clean thread. Please don't post anything but advice, so as not to get a messy thread.
From mikej. :
Can the 2100 use a 128MB card? Yes.
What are the "must have" accessories from Day 1? UV filter (to protect the lens if for no other reason), extra rechargeable batteries (many recommend 1600mha NIMH) and greenbatteries.com seems to be a popular place to get them.
Update (Maxven): greenbatteries "Best Value" is currently POWERhaus with 4 GP 1800 mAh NiMh.
Where should I buy the 2100? ANYWHERE YOU CAN GET IT! Seriously, find a price or dealer you're comfortable with and then check out resellerratings.com and do a "search' through the forum for that particular reseller. B&H and dBuys seem pretty popular lately.
Should I buy the 2100 or the 700? Again, do a search for more information, but anybody that has a 2100 will tell you they love theirs, have a lot of fun with theirs, and would tell you to go buy it ASAP.
Is the IS alone worth the extra money vs. the 700? Yes, that plus the AF assist lamp, the included batteries and the included charger and remote control.
Will my 2100 have "SDS"? Who knows...and that's what warranties and return/exchange programs are for. Odds are it won't have SDS.
Isn't the 2100 too big and heavy? No, it'll feel great in your hands...like you're using a "real" camera and not just some "point and shoot".
But, it looks complicated. Can I just "point and shoot' with it? Sure! In "P" program mode, just zoom, focus and click. You can start there and work your way into more advanced features.
I also bought a B300, do I need an adaptor? Yes, you'll need a 49-55mm step-up ring. Just a few dollars at any camera store or online.
Do I need to buy an extended warranty (i.e. Mack)? If it makes you feel better.
Should I wait for the 4040? You should if you don't want the 10X zoom and all the other features that make the 2100 great.
What camera bag should I buy? Do a search for "camera bags" and start from there. It all depends on what you intend to put in it.
It "only" has 2.1 megapixels, shouldn't I wait for a C3100 or C4100? No, you're already missing out on all the fun, and Olympus hasn't announced any plans for such a camera.
Haven't I read about a "hot pixel test"? You can find it here:
http://www.starzen.com/digicam
Mike Diamond's contribution:
Q. Can the C2100 record sound?
A. Yes, but it has no speaker, so you can't listen to what has been recorded until you download the sound file.
Q. How is the sound file stored?
A. The sound file is stored with the same name as the picture, but with a ".WAV" extension
Q. Can I take action photo's with the C2100?
A. Yes, many of us are avid sports fans and have taken Baseball, and Soccer action pictures with our C2100.
Q. I read that the EVF is not very good in dark situations, how do I overcome this shortcomming?
A. I find that as long as the autofocus light (A bright Orange/Red beam when seen in dark rooms), falls on the subject, you can get great pictures. This does however preclude the use of any of the manual focus modes. I find that trial and error will allow for many successful night shots even in manual modes. Besides, what else is bracketing and the ability to delete unsuccessful images for!
Q. How necessary is the 10X lens?
A. Extremely! (IMHO). It's nice to be able to take a picture of a ladies eyelashes at 50 feet and be able to count each lash! Seriously, it enables you to capture pictures and events that would otherwise lose all meaning. It also allows you to crop, in camera.
Some from David (df):
Are 2.1 MP enough to make good prints? Yes, certainly up to 8x10 size.
What about good software for printing? Many use Qimage Pro.
Tips from pius:
The C2100 works well with the Oly B-Macro lens for sharp macro shots as close as one inch.
Auto white balance seems to work best on the C2100 the vast majority of times.
The C2100's spot focus seems to be much more reliable than its ESP focus.
The C2100 takes very good pictures at 1600x1200 HQ. Many people have been hard pressed to tell the difference in terms of image quality between HQ and SHQ (SHQ files are about 3 times larger) at 1600x1200. Obviously SHQ files will give better enlargements for cropping and printing, and yield better post-processing results, but the significant advantage of being able to take 3 times as many HQ pictures on the same memory card cannot be ignored when image quality is so close.
A few of my own:
What teleconverters work with the 2100?
B-300 - hard to come by, expensive, heavy but excellent quality
Still available at
http://www.dpreview.com/misc/rdr.asp?url=http://www.scandinavianphoto.se/products/item.asp !ItemId=810&seekBack=true&SectionID=485 goto bottom of page
A-200 - same as above but light weight
C-210 - a good alternative with only slight vignetting and 1.9x
C-180 - go for the C-210
C-160 - go for the C-210
All but A-200 available at
http://www.adorama.com "Cameras & Lenses", "35MM Point and Shoot", Accessories
Canon TL-46 - good price+quality, light weight, 1.4x
Also available at Adorama ($80 incl step up ring)
Which wideangle lens is good for the 2100?
Raynox 6600 .66x, $110 at bugseyedigital.com, many recommend the 49mm version for less vignetting (still open for discussion).
Tiffen Megaplus WA
Which filters should I get?
Multicoated UV for protection
Linear polarizer - enhances skies, clouds, etc. Eliminates reflections from metal, glass, water, etc.
Infrared - good for digital art and general fun
Closeup - if you like shooting macro shots
Center spot - for portraits, blurres the background (can be done with picture processing, not a "must have" filter)
Does it matter which brand filter I get?
You more or less get what you pay for. The three best brands that are easy to come by are (listed by my personal quality perception):
B+W, Hoya, and Tiffen
Do non Olympus cards work with C2100 if you want the panorama feature?
Yes, if you have a card reader, you can format any brand SM card to include the panorama feature. See link below:
http://www.geocities.com/roberthaus/pan/
Which card reader should I get?
Zio seems to be the preference of most. Approx. $25-30
Newest Sandisk readers can't be hacked.
Which sharpening level should I use?
Use soft level for more detail. Sharpening is easily done later in software, if one's preference is for sharper pictures. You cannot do it the other way around, i.e. more in-camera sharpening give less detail that's not as easily extracted with software (unsharpen mask).
I also have an E-100rs. Can I use this list of advice?
Yes, E-100rs and C-2100UZ share the same lens, so what applies to the C-2100 most often also applies to the E-100rs.
When should I disable IS?
When your camera is not handheld or when tracking a moving object that's not coming directly towards you.
That's all folks! I hope more tips will follow from others. I could use a few myself. ;-)
Regards, Maxven
From mikej. :
Can the 2100 use a 128MB card? Yes.
What are the "must have" accessories from Day 1? UV filter (to protect the lens if for no other reason), extra rechargeable batteries (many recommend 1600mha NIMH) and greenbatteries.com seems to be a popular place to get them.
Update (Maxven): greenbatteries "Best Value" is currently POWERhaus with 4 GP 1800 mAh NiMh.
Where should I buy the 2100? ANYWHERE YOU CAN GET IT! Seriously, find a price or dealer you're comfortable with and then check out resellerratings.com and do a "search' through the forum for that particular reseller. B&H and dBuys seem pretty popular lately.
Should I buy the 2100 or the 700? Again, do a search for more information, but anybody that has a 2100 will tell you they love theirs, have a lot of fun with theirs, and would tell you to go buy it ASAP.
Is the IS alone worth the extra money vs. the 700? Yes, that plus the AF assist lamp, the included batteries and the included charger and remote control.
Will my 2100 have "SDS"? Who knows...and that's what warranties and return/exchange programs are for. Odds are it won't have SDS.
Isn't the 2100 too big and heavy? No, it'll feel great in your hands...like you're using a "real" camera and not just some "point and shoot".
But, it looks complicated. Can I just "point and shoot' with it? Sure! In "P" program mode, just zoom, focus and click. You can start there and work your way into more advanced features.
I also bought a B300, do I need an adaptor? Yes, you'll need a 49-55mm step-up ring. Just a few dollars at any camera store or online.
Do I need to buy an extended warranty (i.e. Mack)? If it makes you feel better.
Should I wait for the 4040? You should if you don't want the 10X zoom and all the other features that make the 2100 great.
What camera bag should I buy? Do a search for "camera bags" and start from there. It all depends on what you intend to put in it.
It "only" has 2.1 megapixels, shouldn't I wait for a C3100 or C4100? No, you're already missing out on all the fun, and Olympus hasn't announced any plans for such a camera.
Haven't I read about a "hot pixel test"? You can find it here:
http://www.starzen.com/digicam
Mike Diamond's contribution:
Q. Can the C2100 record sound?
A. Yes, but it has no speaker, so you can't listen to what has been recorded until you download the sound file.
Q. How is the sound file stored?
A. The sound file is stored with the same name as the picture, but with a ".WAV" extension
Q. Can I take action photo's with the C2100?
A. Yes, many of us are avid sports fans and have taken Baseball, and Soccer action pictures with our C2100.
Q. I read that the EVF is not very good in dark situations, how do I overcome this shortcomming?
A. I find that as long as the autofocus light (A bright Orange/Red beam when seen in dark rooms), falls on the subject, you can get great pictures. This does however preclude the use of any of the manual focus modes. I find that trial and error will allow for many successful night shots even in manual modes. Besides, what else is bracketing and the ability to delete unsuccessful images for!
Q. How necessary is the 10X lens?
A. Extremely! (IMHO). It's nice to be able to take a picture of a ladies eyelashes at 50 feet and be able to count each lash! Seriously, it enables you to capture pictures and events that would otherwise lose all meaning. It also allows you to crop, in camera.
Some from David (df):
Are 2.1 MP enough to make good prints? Yes, certainly up to 8x10 size.
What about good software for printing? Many use Qimage Pro.
Tips from pius:
The C2100 works well with the Oly B-Macro lens for sharp macro shots as close as one inch.
Auto white balance seems to work best on the C2100 the vast majority of times.
The C2100's spot focus seems to be much more reliable than its ESP focus.
The C2100 takes very good pictures at 1600x1200 HQ. Many people have been hard pressed to tell the difference in terms of image quality between HQ and SHQ (SHQ files are about 3 times larger) at 1600x1200. Obviously SHQ files will give better enlargements for cropping and printing, and yield better post-processing results, but the significant advantage of being able to take 3 times as many HQ pictures on the same memory card cannot be ignored when image quality is so close.
A few of my own:
What teleconverters work with the 2100?
B-300 - hard to come by, expensive, heavy but excellent quality
Still available at
http://www.dpreview.com/misc/rdr.asp?url=http://www.scandinavianphoto.se/products/item.asp !ItemId=810&seekBack=true&SectionID=485 goto bottom of page
A-200 - same as above but light weight
C-210 - a good alternative with only slight vignetting and 1.9x
C-180 - go for the C-210
C-160 - go for the C-210
All but A-200 available at
http://www.adorama.com "Cameras & Lenses", "35MM Point and Shoot", Accessories
Canon TL-46 - good price+quality, light weight, 1.4x
Also available at Adorama ($80 incl step up ring)
Which wideangle lens is good for the 2100?
Raynox 6600 .66x, $110 at bugseyedigital.com, many recommend the 49mm version for less vignetting (still open for discussion).
Tiffen Megaplus WA
Which filters should I get?
Multicoated UV for protection
Linear polarizer - enhances skies, clouds, etc. Eliminates reflections from metal, glass, water, etc.
Infrared - good for digital art and general fun
Closeup - if you like shooting macro shots
Center spot - for portraits, blurres the background (can be done with picture processing, not a "must have" filter)
Does it matter which brand filter I get?
You more or less get what you pay for. The three best brands that are easy to come by are (listed by my personal quality perception):
B+W, Hoya, and Tiffen
Do non Olympus cards work with C2100 if you want the panorama feature?
Yes, if you have a card reader, you can format any brand SM card to include the panorama feature. See link below:
http://www.geocities.com/roberthaus/pan/
Which card reader should I get?
Zio seems to be the preference of most. Approx. $25-30
Newest Sandisk readers can't be hacked.
Which sharpening level should I use?
Use soft level for more detail. Sharpening is easily done later in software, if one's preference is for sharper pictures. You cannot do it the other way around, i.e. more in-camera sharpening give less detail that's not as easily extracted with software (unsharpen mask).
I also have an E-100rs. Can I use this list of advice?
Yes, E-100rs and C-2100UZ share the same lens, so what applies to the C-2100 most often also applies to the E-100rs.
When should I disable IS?
When your camera is not handheld or when tracking a moving object that's not coming directly towards you.
That's all folks! I hope more tips will follow from others. I could use a few myself. ;-)
Regards, Maxven
